Big internet day for me today! Our house is on Design*Sponge! What a fun collaboration this was, Angela Finney-Hoffman (my Post 27 partner in crime) came over to help up hang some of the art and do some organizing and styling. And then our incredibly talented camera-head friends, Brian Guido & Julia Stotz took the pictures. I’m seriously pinching myself, I never thought our things could look so good. Also major high fives to Anne Stark Ditmeyer from Pret a Voyager & Design*Sponge for having us. Thanks, thanks, thanks. friends!!

Here’s some outtakes and some photos D*S didn’t publish, including one stereo & vinyl collection which is a particular favorite of mine.

Vintage magazine organizers, endearingly named after countries. Always make me ponder their previous & worldly life before they held our magazines. The little figurine buddy hanging out on the edge of the photo is by Friends with You. Instead of installing curtains or using the standard mini-blinds, we covered these bay windows with semi-transparent fabric. It’s adhered right to the glass with straight liquid starch (Sta-Flo). We rent so this will come off with a sponge & water once it’s time to move.

Vinyl collection is almost exclusively inherited from our parents & grandparents. Runs a wide gamut from musicals, barbershop & oldies, jazz, disco, to more modern folk and electronica. Plays on a mint-condition 80’s Technics turntable with round speakers, also vintage. The speakers are unfortunately more style than substance and this shows in the quality of sound. I love how unique they are though so maybe we’ll one day get to commission a modern remix on them (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun!).

Make sure you hit up the whole tour on Design*Sponge for the full rundown on the rest of the space!

I apologize to the non-locals for this post, but Chicago, you are going to this right? Yes, the Show ‘N Tell Show is the world’s only design-improv-talk-n-rock show. With plenty of variety and even the occasional Muppet, it’s guaranteed fun, promises. Come designers, photographers, musicians, comic book heads, style mavens, font lovers, code monkeys, and poster boys. Thursday’s guests will wow you, they’re some of my personal faves: The INDO Projects, Letterform, Paul Octavious, Paul Koob, and a top secret mystery vistor!

And, okay, so if you can’t come you should watch this bonus video instead. If you’ve ever been to a design conference, you should also watch this video. If you look closely, you can catch yours truly briefly at 1:45. (Gah, video is so awkward…like hearing yourself on an 80’s answering machine!)

Three of of my buddies have excellent Kickstarter projects out right now:

+ Jana Kinsman wants to bring beekeeping to the masses with hives sprinkled all over Chicago. She plans to build a custom-made trailer and bike across town to care for her bees. Backers may rent hives, but pledging at $55 or higher means you score a jar of the honey itself. Mmmm yes please!

+ Nickd sees a dearth of long-form design & technology critique and he wants to launch a quarterly publication of essays from some of best brains in the biz. Distance will be the kind of intense know-how that only seems available at conferences, but without the $800 price tag. Get smart, my fellow nerds.

+ Dee Clements is headed to an artist’s residency at the Penland School of Crafts where she’s hoping to design and weave her own line of textiles. Backers support goes to her residency & material fees and in return for a beautiful handwoven scarf, throw, or even coasters!

Good luck guys! I hope you get to take my money and do awesome things with it.

About this blog:

From 2008-2012 this space was used as daily visual inspiration resource. Now it's a spot where I occasionally share longer-form essays on the state of design, contemporary art, and technology. If you're looking for pretty pictures and news-y updates you can sign up for my newsletter (see footer), or befriend me on social media if you’re into those things.